Saturday, February 13, 2010

A Little Sideways Smile

It's hard to imagine, in the long years since her death, hard not to redact oral history in her favor, but Grandma Eva had no sense of humor. This is not to say that she was stern, or judgmental, or quelling. She wasn't any of those things. She just didn't really get or make jokes--and I'm not referring to the "so a man walked into a bar" variety, but rather to the true wit and acerbity, the everyday hilarity and the bon mots indulged with wicked abandon by my family.

Grandpa Max adored his bride, despite the disability. He could find solace with his confederates--his daughters, brother, grandchildren, all in possession of genetically encoded, environmentally honed funniness. He knew grandma would always be there, standing to one side of the laughter, smiling a little sideways smile.

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You surprise me when you say she had no sense of humour ... I thought she looked like a merry soul, especially in the first picture. All this digging out of old photographs is very nostalgic... I'm enjoying it.

A great post, and I love that she has a different expression in each post and that you see the train station platform in the background in the last one. Is that Williamsburg? Thanks for contributing to Sepia Saturday.

She's beautiful. A beautiful smile, and some might say that those who don't get the jokes of today (or yesterday) have a very innocent air about them, a certain naivete which is appealing in it's own right.

Oh, she was so cute; she reminds me of Shirley Booth of "Hazel" fame.I love the Marlene Dietrich-tilt to her hat.I imagine she was happy just to listen to all the goings-on around her. Sometimes its tough to keep up with banter and bon mots. Perhaps she felt it easier to just stay quiet, smile and enjoy.

Dear Leah,Your post got me thinking about my own Grandmother and it occured to me that, like many women of her generation, someone in the family had to mantain a sense of seriousness, decorum and sobriety. This was the case with my Grandmother, though when caught in moments alone when she tought that the coast was clear could be found giggling away to herself (usually by the kitchen sink adorned in one of her many aprons doing mountains of dishes) repeating to herself the funny lines made in conversation by other family members.But in the company of others would always be on the sidelines just observing without participation in the repartee, but always with her own little sideways smile.

Having a completely crazy sense of humour myself, I'm always bemused by people who never seem to see the funny side of anything and take life 100 per cent seriously. But they're probably equally bemused by me and think I'm shockingly frivolous.

She must have been laughing inside because she had to have decorum during those days, and maybe she would go into a back room and roar with laughter and no one ever knew. She was beautiful and had a gorgeous smile. You do seem to favor her.

Ah - I'm jealous! I wish I could capture the true essence of someone with so few words!I love the first photograph - she seems to be looking with such hope and confidence into the future.She looks like someone who many not have had the first laugh but she probably often had the last!Evelyn in Montreal